Clearer Imaging with Collimated Lighting

04 November 2024

MSU Series

Collimated illumination occurs when light rays are parallel, forming a beam that remains focused without spreading as it travels. This effect is typically achieved by using a collimating lens or a reflector to direct the light rays in the same direction.

 

Why Choose Collimated Lighting?

 

1. Consistent Illumination Across the Field of View

It ensures a uniform illumination level across the field of view, which reduces variations in brightness. This leads to more consistent image processing and better repeatability, especially in automated inspection systems.

 
2. Enhanced Surface Topography Detection

Collimated lighting helps in identifying surface irregularities, scratches, dents, or other defects that are challenging to see under standard lighting. It’s especially useful in applications where surface quality is critical, like inspecting glass, metal, or semiconductor wafers.

 

3. Sharp Edge Detection

The light rays of collimated lighting are parallel, producing well-defined shadows and reflections. This is ideal for applications where detecting fine edges, contours, or transitions in objects is critical, such as measuring or positioning.

 

Applications

 

  • Inspection of reflective surfaces (e.g., polished metal, glass)

  • Measurement and metrology where precise edge detection is necessary

  • Defect detection on flat or curved surfaces

  • Microscopy in material science or biological imaging where fine structures need clear illumination

 

Imaging Example

Exterior imaging of button cell batteries

 

Solutions

 

We are pleased to introduce our MSU light unit, which features coaxial lighting with a 0.3x lens. Its adjustable light aperture enables precise control over the parallelism of the light, making it an excellent choice for various machine vision applications, particularly those focused on surface inspection.